Sectional tent



April 1, 1958 c. A. WORLEY 2,828,756

:SECTIONAL TENT Filed oct. 21, 1955 O h @i "y BY @In ATTORNEY Unite States SECTINAL TENT Carter A. Worley, Clarksville, Ark., assigner to l. Harold Smith, Fort Smith, Ark.

Application October 21, 1955, Serial No. 541,886

2 Claims. (Cl. 13S-3) This invention relates generally to tents and more particularly to a sectional tent designed to be variable in size and to shelter relatively large gatherings.

The customary tent is generally of a iixed size so that if a group of people using such a tent increase in number, it is finally necessary for them to purchase a new and larger tent. Moreover, the canvas of a tent is usually a structural part in that it, poles and ropes all cooperate to keep the structure erect. lt is thus impossible to open the tops of conventional tents for open air gatherings and to close the top in the event of suddenly inclement weather.

Accordingly, the chief object of the present invention is to provide an improved tent construction which will obviate the above and other limitations of prior art structures.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved tent which is formed of connectible sections so that as many sections as are necessary may be readily utilized to form a tent of any desired size.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide an improved tent having roof panels which may be readily opened or closed without affecting the stability of the tent as a whole.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide a novel means for securing adjacent canvas panels together to form a roof.

Another important object is to provide novel means for holding each section of the tent in rigid, though readily disconnectible assembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the sectional tent comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof, portions being broken away;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of a transversely extending truss comprising a part of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the manner in which the beams and columns are supported and interconnected; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of a detail of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 designates the sectional tent comprising the present invention as a Whole which comprises a pair of identical ends 12 which abut and cooperate with a plurality of intermediate canvas panels 14 which comprise the body of the tent. The ends 12 also comprise a plurality of panels as will be described.

opening for the adjacent canvas panels.

Each section or panel of the main tent proper includes a pair of arcuate, longitudinally spaced, transversely extending trusses 16 which are supported at their ends by the abutting ends of horizontal beams l which in turn are supported by vertically extending columns Z0. The arcuate trusses and the horizontal beams are readily bolted together and the beams are specially connected to the columns, as Will be described, to form a rigid structure.

The arcuate trusses 16 comprise a pair of identical sections terminating at their inner ends in ilanged plates 21 which are bolted or clamped together to form a unitary truss. Each truss section comprises a lower tubular chord member 23, an upper chord member 24 which is a T iron in cross-section, and connecting diagonal rod braces 25.

The horizontal beams 18 upon which the trusses 16 are mounted comprise longitudinally extending, upper and lower pipes 26 connected by a transversely disposed vertical pipe 27 adjacent to but spaced from each end and a pair of spaced, transversely disposed pipes 28 intermediate the length of the beam 18. Diagonal rod braces 29 also connect the pipes 26 between the transversely disposed pipes 27 and 28 and the ends of the beam t8 comprise transversely disposed iron plates t9.

The columns 2d each comprise VaV pair of spaced, vertically extending pipes 3@ of slightly lesser diameter than the pipes 27, 2a which are connected by a base plate 3l, an upper plate 33 spaced from the upper ends of the pipes Si?, and diagonal rod braces 34. As seen in Figure 5, the pipes 27 of adjacent beams i8 are adapted to be placed over the upper ends of the pipes 3? of a column 2d so that the end plates 19 of the adjacent beams abut and both rest on the upper plate 33 of the column. Thus, each section of the tent includes a readily assembled, rigid frame structure comprising a pair of trusses i6, a pair of beams 118 and four columns 20.

Each of the panel sections lll is covered by a canvas panel 36, the longitudinal edges of which terminate in loops 37. A rope 38 is secured within these loops, preferably by sewing, etc. A tie or securing device 39 for adjacent canvas panels (Figure 6) is coextensive with and bolted at spaced points to each of the "a" angles 24 forming the top of the trusses 16.

The tie 39 is preferably of extruded aluminum and comprises a pair of joined tubular members iii each of which are slotted throughout their length as at d2 to forman The ropes 38 are of greater length than the panels so as to act as securing guys (Figures l and 2) anchored by conventional stakes.

The canvas panels 36 are readily positioned between a pair of the trusses i6, and the end of the rope 3S in each edge is threaded into its tube 40 and pulled therethrough by a pilot rope of smaller diameter than lthe slot 42. Optionally, the canvas panels can be installed in the slots fr?. before a pair of adjoining trusses are mountedl in position on the beams 18. Inasmuch as each canvas panel is independent of adjoining panels, cach may be opened or closed at will.

The ends l2 of the tent lil embody the same principles of construction and vary only in that only one of a pair of trusses 16 is used and the adjacent trusses i4 and d5 are respectively shorter in length.

lt will now be appreciated that a minimum sized circular tent lil can be had by eliminating the panels 14 or the length of the tent lil (Figures l and 2) may be indefinitely extended by the use of as many of the panels 1d as desired. By virtue of the novel interlocking structure described, the tent may be readily set up, taken down, and Varied in size and is readily stored or carried on small trucks. All, part or none of the roof p anels may be opened to afford unusual llexibility in lighting, ventilation and protection from the elements.

Patented Apr. l, 1958 s assenso It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A knocldown tent structure formed of a Vplurality of identical adjoining sections each comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced and a pair of transversely spaced, rectangular, longitudinally aligned column n embers; rectangular, horizontally disposed and transversely spaced beam members connected with and resting on the adjacent halves of the upper ends of said longitudinally spaced column members; a rectangular, transversely 'disposed roof truss member connected with and resting one-half of its lateral dimension on the ends of the transversely spaced beam members; canvas panels connected to and extending Within the adjacent upper edges of said truss member; said truss member and said column members of identical adjoining sections each comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced and a pair of transversely spaced, rectangular, longitudinally aligned column members; rectangular, horizontally disposed and transversely spaced beam members connected with and resting on the adjacent halves of the upper ends of said longitudinally spaced column members; a rectangular, transversely disposed roof truss member connected with and resting one-half or" its lateral dimension on the ends of the transversely spaced beam members; canvas panels connected to and extending within the adjacent upper edges of said truss member; said truss member and said column members being common to adjoining sections whereby the other half of said lateral dimension of said truss member and of said upper ends rests on and support respectively the adjacent beam members; the upper edges of said truss members including an integral, double tubular member which includes slots opening outwardly in the same horizontal plane.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,061,547 Kennedy .et al. May 13, 1913 1,648,724 Dakin Nov. 8, 1927 1,744,146 Seaman Jan. 21, 1930 2,008,176 Fritsche July 16, 1935 2,225,972 Brogren Dec. 24, 1940 2,670,818 Hacker Mar. 2, 1954 

